Earthing mats are potentially incredible products that mimic the pass of electrons from the earth into our bodies. Recent research has shown that these devices can have numerous health benefits, such as improved sleep and better recovery from chronic pain. However, there are also potential grounding mat dangers that you must be aware of. To help, we discuss these below.
Grounding Mat vs Natural Earthing
Before we look at the dangers of grounding mats, it is important to understand the process involved with these devices and how it differs from natural earthing: this will help explain why these products could cause problems.
Natural Earthing
The earth’s surface electrons are negatively charged, whereas the charge is positive high up in the ionosphere. Free electrons pass into our bodies when we make direct contact with the earth (such as walking barefoot).
This process is something that naturally occurs and has always been the case. Virtually every object on our planet has some electrical charge, but the current is minimal; thus, the human body can cope with this without any adverse effects.
Indeed, if you walk barefoot, the earth’s energy can prove beneficial, and people who do this regularly have reported various health improvements. The key is that this is naturally occurring and should not affect body voltage to the degree that causes issues.
Grounding Mats
Earthing mats essentially mimic the process described above. They are a piece of material imbued with an electrical system. You connect it to an electrical outlet to make direct contact with the surface.
While the static electricity of earthing products is also low-level like the earth’s surface, as they are artificial products, there is the potential for things to go wrong. However, this is the same for any electric device, and there is no evidence that grounding mats are particularly susceptible to electrical surges, for example.
Potential Grounding Mat Dangers
As you can see, there is a key difference between the electrical system of a grounding mat and natural earthing by walking barefoot, for example. This difference and use of a direct electrical current can result in potential dangers listed below.
Risk of Electric Shock
The most common risk is an electric shock. However, you should note that this is not typically due to how the product works. Instead, it results from an electrical fault or an unexpected surge.
When using any electrical device, there is a chance of a shock. When a surge of electricity passes through your body, it tries to find the path of least resistance.
Depending on your positioning, the path of least resistance could be across your chest and through your heart. Based on the level of body voltage, this could then result in death due to heart failure. Electric shock can also lead to burns, unconsciousness, and difficulty with breathing.
Potential Damage to the Nervous System
Building on the above point, an electrical surge or shock could potentially damage your nervous system. This, in fact, uses small electrical impulses to function, allowing our body to do different tasks, like making our heart beat or muscle tension.
However, if our nerves are overloaded with electricity, the damage can be severe. For example, it could result in your heart-stopping. With milder surges or shocks, nerve damage is possible, which could mean a loss of function in some of your limbs or extremities.
Increased Risk of Cancer
We understand that the mere mention of cancer is enough to put many people off, but it is also important to note that the potential effects are minimum. Also, there is counter research that shows earthing mats can reduce the risk of cancer due to their ability to help with chronic inflammation. Essentially, a grounding mat could have an incredibly low risk of causing EMF, which in turn can increase the chance of leukaemia.
Dirty Electricity
When natural grounding occurs, we receive an electrical charge completely free from interference, so that’s why this technique is incredibly safe.
In contrast, grounding using a mat uses a form of “dirty electricity”, a relatively new phenomenon still being studied. However, some researchers believe that dirty electricity can have adverse effects, including fatigue, nausea, and even a loss of libido. However, as mentioned, there is no solid research on this subject.
The Unknown of Our Body’s Reaction
Another potential danger is that there is no guarantee that your body will react like everyone else. Each person’s immune response and nervous system reaction could be entirely different. For example, someone could have an excellent inflammatory response and benefit from reducing pain and aches. In contrast, somebody else may not reap any of the many health benefits these devices can provide.
Tips for Safe Use of Grounding Mats
Now that you understand the potential earthing mat dangers, we can look at their safe usage. Providing you take care, be fastidious, and use the product appropriately for your body, any grounding product can be used safely.
Always Check Grounding Mats for Faults Before Using
The leading cause of problems with earthing products is faulty electrics: this could be a defective grounding plug, a damaged power cable, or even a lack of surge protection.
We advise always checking your devices before use as a result. Perform a visual check of the mat itself, the cable, the power connection on the mat, and the mains electric plug. Look also for damage and signs of wear and tear. By doing this, you can easily spot any potential problems that could cause an unexpected electrical surge in your body.
Build up the Usage Length Over Time
There is no guarantee how your immune system and body will react to using an earthing mat. Everyone is different, and each person’s autonomic nervous system could interact in varying ways with the device.
Therefore, we advise building up your usage. Don’t immediately use the product for prolonged periods, such as for sleeping grounded. Instead, use it for short periods of 40 minutes to one hour. Once your body becomes accustomed to the process and no adverse effects are apparent, consider upping the usage time.
Use the Product Where There Is Less Electrical Interference
Lastly, if possible, try to use the product without any other electrical interference. For example, it may not be a good idea to use an earthing mat in an office with multiple extension leads, power cables, and active electrical devices. The best possible place to use earthing mats is outside. If you can, use an extension cable so the product can be safely used in a garden or on a patio, for example.
Be Safe When Using Grounding Mats!
We hope you have found this guide on grounding mat dangers beneficial. It is always important to be fully informed about any product - both its pros and cons. Only then can you see if it is suitable or could potentially do more harm than good. Providing that you take the appropriate precautions and perform a thorough quality check of your products, there is no reason why you cannot use grounding pads safely.